JCDecaux to double the number of roadside screens in London

JCDecaux SE (Euronext Paris: DEC), the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, has unveiled its vision to double the number of digital roadside 2m² screens in London. The investment will make Out-of-Home the big reach medium increasing the number of digital roadside screens to 2,000 with the installation of 1,000 new London Digital Network (LDN) screens into the city’s expanding neighbourhoods - including: Battersea, Canning Town, Elephant and Castle, King’s Cross, Wandsworth and Wembley. Around 670 of these innovative screens will appear on TfL’s bus stops across London. Locations across the capital will be selected to give advertisers the highest attention and impact.

The new 86” screens are 30% larger than the market average, higher definition and consume 20% less power. The first screens will begin installation in April 2025 with the first 500 installed at the end of year one. The UK is now JCDecaux’s second-largest market in the world and its most digitised one with more than 70% of its revenues coming from digital screens.

New creative and motion capabilities will be introduced to the London Digital Network alongside a new Video Advertising Motion Measurement (VAMM) scale. This follows a 6-year study with TfL showing that motion could be applied to roadside locations. The new AI-led VAMM platform will enable brands to automatically check the level of motion within their creative before display, bringing a new level of creative flexibility for brands. JCDecaux has already started the process of applying for planning permissions.

Emma Strain, Customer Director, TfL said: “London is the shop window for Out-of-Home and the TfL advertising estate is a unique canvas that brings brands to our customers as they travel – connecting neighbourhoods in this vibrant city that is open to all. The London Digital Network is important for London’s economic growth – it’s for everyone: the big brands, the growing brands and the new entrepreneurs and scale-ups that boost growth. It’s a virtuous circle, as revenue generated through Out-of-Home goes back into the transport network helping people to enjoy everything the city has to offer.”

Jean-François Decaux, Co-chief Executive Officer of JCDecaux, said: “In 2015, JCDecaux promised to make London the digital capital of the world and in just 18 months we deployed 1,000 next-generation screens powered by data and automation which redefined the sector and transformed the opportunities for brands in the capital. London is the global showcase for digital Out-of-Home and thanks to the strength of our partnership with TfL we are announcing a new long-term investment, bringing the London Digital Network to all the new neighbourhoods that make London one of the most dynamic cities in the world. We will double the number of screens to 2,000 taking our audience market share of London digital Roadside 2m² from 60% to 75%. This is a milestone moment for London media which will allow advertisers and agencies a real alternative to linear TV and digital Online. This new London Digital Network will be powered by the market-leading programmatic tech and data stack – VIOOH and Displayce, bringing new opportunities for brands to run timely, relevant messaging and making omnichannel campaigns a reality.”